Mostly about games, but with occasional detours into other nerdy territories.

Gencon Hotspots

So, people were kind enough to help me out with suggestions about new things that they’re going to get a chance to pick up at Gencon, so I may now stew in my own juices of jealousy and think teeth-gnashing thoughts while I miss the conventions. Still, no reason I should be alone in this, so join me in running through this list and stew alongside me. Oh, and if you happen to actually be going to Gencon and just happen to benefit from this, well, I suppose it can’t be helped.

Green Ronin – Booth 965Dragon Age (Second Boxed Set) – I preordered this, so I got mine a few days ago (it’s awesome) but this is it’s real coming out party. I’ve written a lot about how awesome Dragon Age is, but also complained about the ceiling that the first boxed set (which limits things to levels 1-5 imposes. This second boxed set covers level 6-10 and includes a lot of things people felt were missing in the core, like Grey Wardens.

They should also have the first big supplement for DC adventures (Heroes & Villains, I think?). If you haven’t looked at this game, you need to, if only because it’s all SO DAMN PRETTY.

Burning Wheel – Booth 311 Burning Wheel Gold – If you, like me, missed out on the very narrow pre-order window, this is your chance to grab it. I still haven’t seen this, but I want to. The price is good, production is (predictably) fantastic but most importantly, this is the new version of a game that has seen more deep, careful thought and attention to what makes it go than pretty much anything I can think of. Luke knows his stuff, and while I don’t expect this to be a revolutionary change from the existing Burning Wheel, I expect is to be pretty damn spiffy.

I don’t know if they’ll have it for sale, but hopefully they will have a display copy of the Mouseguard Boxed Set to show off. You want to see it.

Machine Age Productions – Booth 1356I think (hope) they’re going to have Amaranthine available for sale, and as awesome as that is, you really need to go there to see the gaming patches. Seriously. If I were there it’s the first thing I’d be hitting on the dealer floor.

Cubicle 7 – Booth 711Yes, they’re going to have The One Ring, and that’s a big deal, but greatly overshadowed in my mind by Airship Pirates. As far as i can tell, this is basically wall to wall steampunk porn, and I understand there’s an audience for this sort of thing. They should also have a sci-fi game called In Flames that I know nothing about.

I also expect a few awesome things in the Cubicle 7 Penumbra, hopefully including Ashen Stars and Stealing Chthulu, but I can’t speak to it for sure.Third Eye Games – Booth 605Part Time Gods – People I’ve needed with will long attest that I’ve bemoaned the lack of a “Street Nobilis” game. I am no longer bemoaning.

Flying Frog – Booth 1421Fortune & Glory – It’s a boardgame from Flying Frog who have done cool adventure boardgames with strong themes in the past (Last Night on Earth, A Touch of Evil). This one is billed as a Cliffhanger game, and it looks pulpy. I admit, that’s pretty awesome.

Outrider Studios – Booth 1544Mentioned these guys yesterday for Remnants, but folding thim in here for completeness!Other Awesome Things That Might Be at IPR, I Think, Wherever it isDo – Well, yeah, I’ll plug it. It’s beyond gorgeous, Daniel remains talented beyond all reasonable measure. I can’t say enough good things about it, so go check it out.Bulldogs – I’ve mentioned before how excited I am for this one – it’s Brennan Taylor’s Sci-Fi RPG with a fFATE engine and a chassis made of Han Solo.Dungeon World – A hack of apocalypse world designed to handle classic dungeon crawling goodness. This is going to be, by my understanding, the basic edition, with a release schedule somewhat akin to Dragon Age (with more stuff/rules to come later) but I don’t know all the details. What I do know is that I’ve been curiously watching this develop, and I’d pick it up in a hot second.Shelter In Place – I mention this only so you can share my bitterness. A survival horror LARP bythe remarkably talented J.R. Blackwell, it’s my understanding the Gencon copies are already sold out.Kerberos Club (Fate Edition) – Kerberos Club was already super-neat, so adding in a FATE engine is basically a big present JUST FOR ME!Kingdom Come – It’s a LARP thing, and that may be a turnoff for some, so all is well and good. I admit, I know almost nothing about this, but I have suspicions. Specifically, I have suspicions that this is born from the brains of some Canadian LARPers who are basically the super-secret-ninja-masters of truly awesome LARPing.

My first experience of this song was at a Steampunk Ball, where Susan de Guardiola created a dance for a set of four couples to it. So, I knew, intellectually, that a lot of dancing is about attitude. This one taught it to me on a visceral level, nailing all the steps in sync with seven other people, all in our Steampunk Best.

Cubicle 7’s gonna have a lot of stuff I want. I think the Scotland supplement for Cthulhu Britannica is due out by then.

Pelgrane’s booth is 1812, which is where I’d expect Stealing Cthulhu and Ashen Stars to be, as well as Out of Time.

Hi Rob! Thanks for the shout-out about Shelter in Place. We do have a very limited number of hardcover limited edition Shelter in Place books available from the con, so if you want one, drop me a line.